New certification cation program moves aheade

Announced in January 2007, a new mobile crane certi. cation program offered through a partnership of the National Center for Construction Education Research (NCCER), North American Crane Bureau (NACB), and Prov, is now open to students. The new certi. cation program meets or exceeds current ASME B30.5 standards.

The program consists of a two-part process: a written assessment and a practical examination.

There are a total of four written assessments administered by NCCER-approved proctors, while NACB-approved practical examiners test operators on the 13 types of practical exams. Operators are tested on the speci. c type of equipment for which they are seeking certi. cation. In addition to demonstrating operational skills, operators have to successfully maneuver and set up the crane.

“Safety is number one,” said Ted Blanton, NACB president. “It's the whole reason for this certi. cation – a certi. cation that will be required, not only by companies, but by state, and eventually, by the federal government.”

Subject matter experts from various industries contributed more than 1,000 hours to review and edit thousands of questions pertaining to the written and practical examinations. Once the testing tools were developed, each underwent a pilot testing phase wherein crane operators took the exams to validate the accuracy of each test question or practical exam component. By following these steps, NCCER, NACB, and Prov have ensured that the testing process meets the rigorous process of validation as required by the standards for education and psychological testing.

Another key bene. t to this program is the anticipated fast turnaround for test results. Operator tests, both written and practical, will be submitted to Prov via e-mail or fax and results can be obtained from Prov, in most cases, within 30 minutes upon submission of the exam without any additional cost. Under the new certi. cation program an operator can take both tests, get the results, and be working on the job the next day as a certi. ed crane operator.

The entire testing process is quick, cost-effective, and easy to manage. Most importantly, individuals quali. ed through this program will be tested speci. cally on the type of equipment they will operate and will meet the requirements of current B30.5 consensus safety standards for mobile crane operations.

“Our goal was to provide an alternative program that meets the current ANSI B30.5 standard,” says Joe Crispell, NACB vice president. “By partnering with NCCER, NACB offers several 'standout processes' pertinent to the industry's most immediate needs.

For more information the Crane Operator Certi. cation Program, please contact NCCER at 888.622.3720 or visit www.nccer.org